So i was wondering when/where the next daoc server launch will be?
Now before you jump in there and be internet justice warriors, might atleast finish reading first.
Anyone remember the excitement for Phoenix launch? Remember getting up before the sun....taking vacation time, planning the xp routes, best camps, group comps, etc?
So a few years ago i was locked into heated arguments with Uthgard staff, about the future of the server. Prior to phoenix or origins, i told them point blank the population was dying.....and i knew.....absolutely without a doubt why. Well i must admit now i was wrong.....oh not about the server dying...as we came to find out not only was it on its death bed...last will and testaments were filled and signed.....but funeral arrangements were being made by next of kin.
No i was wrong about the why. My assumptions were that others, like myself, were unhappy with the many facets of the server settings. The xp grind, the slow action, long travel times, terrible class and realm balance. In short, the quality of life sucked.
Now im sure everyone is now asking why i think im wrong now? After all you mighta left for that same reason right? Greener pastures and all?
When i made that perdiction NA pop dropped to under 500. And now, with most of my grievances resolved on Phoenix, were back in the same boat. Population is weak and suffering.
Now i know this is not an EU problem....not yet atleast. And thats of course what was said back then too....but how did that fair for EU Uthgard?
Ive come to realize that perhaps, the best answer isnt specific to the ruleset... that certainly has an impact on the speed of decay, but rather.....people simply get bored, and move on, if only temporarily until something exciting happens.
Take a look at wow, with every expansion....a spike in population, followed by a slow decline.
I find it a bit fortuitous that the staff chose the name Phoenix. A small but interesting fact about the mythical bird....it dies a fiery death...but in its own ashes, is reborn. It dies so that it can comeback anew.
Now im gonna say something controversial. And maybe your first instinct is to shred the idea....to tell everyone how stupid the idea is....but i throw it out there and hooe that you atleast save judgement, till the end, if not atleast give it some thought first.
Ready....
Let it die.
Let the server die....so that like the mythical creature....Phoenix can be reborn in the ashes of its former self.
For lack of a better term, the idea im talking about is generally referred to Seasons. An idea thats been brought up before and generally dismissed. Even i have shrugged the idea off in the past. But the more servers i go through, the more servers that die, the better the idea sounds.
Think about your favorite sports team. At the end of the season, does it take its win record with it? Arnt there new players added, new changes, new stadiums or teams? Isnt each year a new year with new possibilities?
Rememer that excitement at launch? What if you could recreate that every year?
Well how would that look? Well im sure others could pin down the details better than I, but i would suspect that each season has long and short term benefits, bonuses or gifts that carry with you. Heres a few examples
Competing in season 1, will provide life ling bonuses, and short term bonuses that only affect season 2. Like xp, every 50 provides 1% life long bonus, capping at 5% per season, and a 5% bonus, capping at 25%, for following season. So if u had 5+ 50s, youd receive a 5% permanent bonus, and 25% xp bonus for only season 2. You can have similar bonuses for realm points with RR5s, or crafting bonuses for LGMs.
You could have unique titles, or a item reward for each season, like an 80 util ring for participation in season 1.
And the icing? Each season can bring new and unique rulesets. Want to do an FFA? How about old RAs and OF? You can even do new ideas or bat shit crazy ideas because each season allows you to reset it. Try letting all realms access all classes? Try your own versions of heretics or bainshees. Try a server with no realm switch timer. Try one with no way to switch realms.
And whats great about the daoc community is we already have prebuilt seasons in....every winter population is at its peak, while every summer population drops naturally.
Yes i know people not like having chars deleted. The idea was a bit off putting to me too. But i left live to play other games, or other servers. I left Uthgard to play Phoenix. I think at some point i realized that it wasnt the cumulative items i collected that mattered. It wasnt the realm ranks, number of lgm crafters, or even some title i collected that i enjoyed.
The most enjoyment ive had was playing with friends.
The same friends that log in a little less now, log off a bit earlier. The ones that, like me, grow a bit bored with the staleness.
So i ask.
Whens the next server launch?
Now before you jump in there and be internet justice warriors, might atleast finish reading first.
Anyone remember the excitement for Phoenix launch? Remember getting up before the sun....taking vacation time, planning the xp routes, best camps, group comps, etc?
So a few years ago i was locked into heated arguments with Uthgard staff, about the future of the server. Prior to phoenix or origins, i told them point blank the population was dying.....and i knew.....absolutely without a doubt why. Well i must admit now i was wrong.....oh not about the server dying...as we came to find out not only was it on its death bed...last will and testaments were filled and signed.....but funeral arrangements were being made by next of kin.
No i was wrong about the why. My assumptions were that others, like myself, were unhappy with the many facets of the server settings. The xp grind, the slow action, long travel times, terrible class and realm balance. In short, the quality of life sucked.
Now im sure everyone is now asking why i think im wrong now? After all you mighta left for that same reason right? Greener pastures and all?
When i made that perdiction NA pop dropped to under 500. And now, with most of my grievances resolved on Phoenix, were back in the same boat. Population is weak and suffering.
Now i know this is not an EU problem....not yet atleast. And thats of course what was said back then too....but how did that fair for EU Uthgard?
Ive come to realize that perhaps, the best answer isnt specific to the ruleset... that certainly has an impact on the speed of decay, but rather.....people simply get bored, and move on, if only temporarily until something exciting happens.
Take a look at wow, with every expansion....a spike in population, followed by a slow decline.
I find it a bit fortuitous that the staff chose the name Phoenix. A small but interesting fact about the mythical bird....it dies a fiery death...but in its own ashes, is reborn. It dies so that it can comeback anew.
Now im gonna say something controversial. And maybe your first instinct is to shred the idea....to tell everyone how stupid the idea is....but i throw it out there and hooe that you atleast save judgement, till the end, if not atleast give it some thought first.
Ready....
Let it die.
Let the server die....so that like the mythical creature....Phoenix can be reborn in the ashes of its former self.
For lack of a better term, the idea im talking about is generally referred to Seasons. An idea thats been brought up before and generally dismissed. Even i have shrugged the idea off in the past. But the more servers i go through, the more servers that die, the better the idea sounds.
Think about your favorite sports team. At the end of the season, does it take its win record with it? Arnt there new players added, new changes, new stadiums or teams? Isnt each year a new year with new possibilities?
Rememer that excitement at launch? What if you could recreate that every year?
Well how would that look? Well im sure others could pin down the details better than I, but i would suspect that each season has long and short term benefits, bonuses or gifts that carry with you. Heres a few examples
Competing in season 1, will provide life ling bonuses, and short term bonuses that only affect season 2. Like xp, every 50 provides 1% life long bonus, capping at 5% per season, and a 5% bonus, capping at 25%, for following season. So if u had 5+ 50s, youd receive a 5% permanent bonus, and 25% xp bonus for only season 2. You can have similar bonuses for realm points with RR5s, or crafting bonuses for LGMs.
You could have unique titles, or a item reward for each season, like an 80 util ring for participation in season 1.
And the icing? Each season can bring new and unique rulesets. Want to do an FFA? How about old RAs and OF? You can even do new ideas or bat shit crazy ideas because each season allows you to reset it. Try letting all realms access all classes? Try your own versions of heretics or bainshees. Try a server with no realm switch timer. Try one with no way to switch realms.
And whats great about the daoc community is we already have prebuilt seasons in....every winter population is at its peak, while every summer population drops naturally.
Yes i know people not like having chars deleted. The idea was a bit off putting to me too. But i left live to play other games, or other servers. I left Uthgard to play Phoenix. I think at some point i realized that it wasnt the cumulative items i collected that mattered. It wasnt the realm ranks, number of lgm crafters, or even some title i collected that i enjoyed.
The most enjoyment ive had was playing with friends.
The same friends that log in a little less now, log off a bit earlier. The ones that, like me, grow a bit bored with the staleness.
So i ask.
Whens the next server launch?